


Six Years

by mbav54



Category: Heroes of Olympus - Fandom, Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-11
Updated: 2016-05-22
Packaged: 2018-03-11 21:56:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3334256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mbav54/pseuds/mbav54
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason had been looking for his boyfriend Nico for six years in hopes of finding him. If he was still alive. This proved to be a harder task than he thought. Meanwhile, a mysterious Owen was becoming a threat to the demigods, and no one knows how to find or catch him. </p><p>During a party, Jason sees Nico once again, but something wasn't right. Nico was now broken, and he didn't seem like he was going to return to being a happy Nico again. Could Jason fix him or will this be too challenging?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Finding Nico

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fanfic I ever post in this site, so I hope you guys like it. Though I'll tell you from now: I can't update regularly. I'm too busy but I hope you guys are patient. Well, enjoy reading this!

"What about the magician costume?" Percy asked excitedly.

Jason rolled his eyes. They were out shopping for Halloween costumes, but every time Percy saw something he liked, he'd get jumpy. Even though Percy was twenty-three, he was still as childish as he was when he was sixteen.

"You don't want it?" he asked, a frown forming on his face.

"No, it's fine. It would be perfect for our party. It's you who's annoying," he said.

Percy flashed a smile on his face. "What are friends for?"

This kind of cheered him up considering they were out for last-minute costume shopping. Annabeth and Percy were throwing a party at their apartment, so they were all busy helping and preparing. This whole week, Jason had been with them, discussing the decorations, food, and other stuff that none of them thought of buying a costume until this moment. Most of the group had already bought their costumes, but some didn't, so Percy and Jason offered to buy them.

So they made their way to the cashier. While Percy was throwing all of their items on the counter, Jason decided to take a look at the costumes one more time. Nothing caught his attention but one costume, but he tried to take his attention away from it. That was impossible because his eyes would always drift back to it.

It was an Angel of Death costume. The picture showed a man wearing a leather jacket, a black shirt and pants, and a huge pair of wings behind him. This reminded him too much of Nico and it hurt him.

Jason's thoughts were once again sad and depressing as he thought of the boy. Sometimes, he'd catch himself so absorbed in his thinking that he wouldn't be conscious of what he was doing. And that was what was happening right now as they exited the show. He was too busy thinking of Nico. His boyfriend. Well, he used to be.

When Jason realized his feelings for Nico, he broke up with Piper and rushed over to the fourteen year old and told him about this. Before he knew it, they were dating. They were happy together. It reached the point where Nico would smile constantly even when Jason wasn't around, as he was told.

That only lasted for a month. One day, they were both in Camp Jupiter, and since Nico was officially the messenger between the two camps, he had to leave to Camp Half-Blood to inform Chiron about the progress Jason was doing there. What surprised him was after a few weeks, Nico didn't come back like he promised he would. Percy and Annabeth did instead. They were worried since Nico never showed up to their camp. No camper had seen him, and just like that, he was declared missing.

Everyone who cared about him searched, but no one could find him. No one was sure he was alive. Most had given up, but Jason didn't, even though it's been six years.

"Thinking about him again?" Percy asked. He knew him too well. When he got a nod as a response, he gave Jason a side-hug. "It's okay."

But it wasn't. He could be dead and he wouldn't know about it.

"Anyway, come on, dude. We should hurry. We didn't even decorate the place and the party starts in four hours."

That snapped him out of his thoughts. Percy was right. They had not much time. Thankfully, the girls will be in Percy's apartment already, helping Annabeth with the food. All Jason and Percy had to do was Iris-message the other two boys so they could finish with the decorations quickly. Though they had to make sure to tell them to bring their own clothes with them.

Going home, Percy did as he had planned and then sat down on the couch for a one minute break.

"So, Percy," Piper started. Both boys turned. She was mixing something in a big bowl, a smirk playing on her face. "Did you find a merman costume?"

Percy frowned. "No. All of the medium-sized ones were finished and they were the only ones that I was sure would fit me. So I bought a pirate costume."

"Oh, gosh," Annabeth said from behind Piper, sighing. Piper's lips stretched even more, and that made Percy look scared. He shouldn't be, really. Jason wasn't scared of what was going on. He was simply curious. He knew she wasn't devious.

After fifteen minutes of hanging toy spiders and orange, shiny decorations on the ceiling, the bell rang. "Ugh!" Jason got out. "Leo! Even your ring is annoying!" He went to open the door, and just as he predicted, Leo, Calypso and Frank were there.

"No hello?" Leo asked. "Gosh, you're rude." Then he walked in as if he owned the place. Still, a smile on his face. Ever since he came back with Festus and Calypso, he had been much happier.

"Speak for yourself," Jason said, laughing a bit.

Calypso rolled her eyes at her boyfriend.

The work was exhausting yet worth it, so when they were done, they sat down. After first, the conversations they had in the hour they had left were cheerful, but then Frank pulled on his serious face.

"So, guys," Frank said, looking worried. "Heard anything of Owen lately?"

Owen was some kind of threat to them. They didn't know if he was a demigod, or a monster but they knew it was "he" and, and that "he" was a danger to demigods. He had killed so many of them, as they heard, and not just from their two camps, but also from around the world. The rate of his movement from place to place was too fact. One day, they'd hear he threatened a camper in Camp Jupiter, and the next day, there'd be stories of him already in Japan, attacking a few demigods.

Jason mentally shuddered at the memory of encountering Owen. He wore a hoodie, which was too casual, if anyone asked him, and his face wasn't shown. It was too dark to see, anyway. He had asked about Reyna, but being the good friend, Jason said nothing. Owen threatened him and was going to attack him until Frank showed up. Maybe he was too afraid of Frank since he was huge, or maybe he didn't want to risk exposing his face, so he backed away. And he never came back.

"Not much, Annabeth said. "I only heard he hadn't attacked anyone lately."

"Maybe he wants to party, too," Leo said, smiling, waiting for the laughs, but only sighs and eye rolls came. Only Hazel laughed at how lame he was.

The rest of the day was boring, and no one did anything. It was only the last minutes that everyone started to ready their costumes and their food. When Piper came out after Percy was done dressing up, Percy squinted his eyes in hatred at the sight of Piper in a mermaid costume.

"Isn't it nice?" she asked, a laugh clearly threatening to come out.

Then their demigod friends started coming in groups until the place was packed in fifty minutes.

It was nice, Jason had to admit. The food table looked a bit fancy with the food arranged by Piper, who was a perfectionist now when it came to those things. The decorations they had put around were worth the effort because it gave a nice, spooky look. The skeleton tied up to the ceiling was the best one. Half of their friends were hyper enough to dance to the fast-paced songs and gather a crowd around them, and half were standing and talking. It was a good thing nothing was out of control, but that didn't stop the place from being noisy, and the music wasn't helping.

Jason didn't know what to do, so he stood by a corner, waiting for something to happen so he wouldn't be so bored. He put the top hat he wore on the small table beside him. He would do something, but he didn't know what to do, really.

Just then, Hazel appeared by him, clutching her doctor's coat in her hand. She didn't really like dressing up that much, she had said before. "Why are you so lonely? Come on! Have fun! Socialize!"

"Socialize with who?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Her eyes moved to his hat. "Well, certainly not with that stuffed bunny you have in there."

He chuckled. "Okay, but-"

She didn't let him continue. She just pushed him. For a second, he thought he was going to fall. But then, with his quick reflexes, he grabbed the couch that was luckily on his right side. The boy – or maybe the girl – in the ninja costume, who was going to sit, took a step back, scared that Jason would fall on him.

A nervous laugh came out of his mouth. "Sorry." With a laugh, Hazel left him.

"It's okay." That was definitely a guy.

Okay. Socializing. He can do this. "I'm Jason Grace, by the way."

"Heard of you. Been a camper at Camp Half-Blood, but used to be praetor for Camp Jupiter."

"You went there?"

"Nah. I'm Greek."

"Greek, huh?" He wished he could see his face, but he couldn't just tell him to show his face, could he. But this way, he couldn't know how he looked. Not that it mattered all that much, but it would be nice to know. "Mind if I join you if there's no one specific you're waiting for? My friend wants me to talk to people, apparently."

"Not at all." The seat was a kind of in the corner of the apartment - the corner which was connected to a hallway, leading to the room. It was a good thing no one actually went there.

After Jason suggested they take some food, they sat down in the chair. Already, Jason felt comfortable with the boy. They had talked about random things n their way to get food, and he liked the boy. He was nice.

"So, you still in camp Half-Blood?" he asked, getting back to their previous topic.

"No. I'm not that young, you know."

That made him curious about his age. He hoped he didn't sound too nosy. "How old are you?"

"Twenty. Why?" So he was two years younger than him.

"Just wondering, is all. Thought you we eighteen."

The boy sighed and closed his eyes. Did Jason say something wrong? Was he too awkward? The boy once again looked at him, but this time, his eyes seemed to hold seriousness. "Can I tell you something?"

"Yeah, sure." The boy was just a stranger, but he was making Jason worry a little.

"Actually, I'll just show you. Take off my mask." He was facing away from the crowd now.

"Why?"

"Please." His eyes were pleading, begging for him to do this.

"Alright." This was a bit strange, but he reached for the cloth on top of the boy's mouth and nose and pulled it down. When he did that, he froze in his place.

There, in front of him, was Nico. He never thought he'd see him again. He looked more handsome, but he also seemed so sad. Standing up, he dragged him in the hallway where it was dark. While doing that, he wasn't willing to take his eyes off him. "Nico," he whispered.

Nico only once hugged Jason while they were together. He wasn't really the optimistic, cheery kind of person, so when he hugged him this time, Jason was surprised but he was also happy.

Nico was here again. He wasn't dead. He was alive, and he came looking for Jason. That joy and warmth he felt being around Nico, touching Nico, felt good, but it also made Jason want to cry. But he couldn't. Of course he couldn't. This wasn't the time to be sad.

"I missed you so much," he continued to whisper. "I never stopped looking for you."

The son of Hades backed away a bit, but only a short distance. His arms were still wrapped around Jason. He wasn't smiling, but there was a hidden happiness behind. He just knew it.

Jason put his hand on Nico's cheek, caressing it. The first thing that came to his mind that second was to kiss Nico. So he did. He was hungry for him, and he wanted to deepen the kiss so badly, but he had to make this short. He needed an explanation.

The look of sadness Nico gave was too painful for Jason. If this hurt him, then the words Nico spoke next were a blow in his guts. "Help me."

"What happened, Nico?" he asked.

"I'll explain later. Right now, I need to go somewhere. I need to be locked in a room."

"Why?" Jason asked for the second time.

"I promise you I'll explain, but you need to lock me somewhere I can't escape. Now." Jason hesitantly agreed to do that.

With Jason intertwining his fingers with a scared Nico, he felt glad yet worried. Glad that finally, he had Nico once again. And worried because he didn't know if he wanted to hear Nico talk about what happened. He didn't know if he wanted to lock Nico in an inescapable room. It seemed too horrifying if Nico, the son of Hades, the demigod who could make zombies do as he wanted, was afraid.

At least now he had him, and he wasn't going to let go anytime soon.


	2. Trapped in a Room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys! Thanks soooo much for the kudos and the comment. Really appreciate that. Anyway, well, I think it's quite obvious what you should be expecting to come this chapter, but if you don't, well, here's the explanation and everything. :)   
> Enjoy this chapter!

Jason was lucky because he a) lived in an apartment all alone so he was the only one that knew about Nico being there and b) had a spare bedroom that he could lock. It was mainly for when Thalia would come, but it was also available for others. He had asked Nico if more than a lock was needed, but he said it was fine.

 In the bright lights of his place, unlike the dimly lit apartment of Percy's, he noticed something on Nico's left cheek. It went from under his eyes until it was near the corner of his lip. It didn't touch it, but it was close to it. The scar made him look tough, but it also meant something bad happened. From that, he remembered Percy telling him of a guy named Luke who had a similar scar

Getting his mind off this, he realized Nico had to change clothes. Jason had already given him a shirt and comfortable pants so he could change, though he didn't pick anything too bright for him. He put the sword he was holding down, which Jason didn't think was just a toy for the costume, and took the clothes. All the while, Nico was silent.

As Nico was changing in the bathroom, Jason sat on his bed, thoughts going through his head. He'd ask Nico once he was okay talking. He didn't want to force him to speak.

Where was he all this time? Why couldn't Jason and the others find him? What was up with the scar? Why did he need to lock himself? And if he tried to prevent himself from escaping, what about his shadow travelling? And most importantly, what broke Nico so badly? He'd always look at the floor with a blank expression. And when he didn't, his eyes would be on Jason's longingly. That he understood why. He missed Nico, too, but what happened to him?

After waiting on his bed for two minutes, the door to his bathroom opened.

Jason wasn't even thinking straight at that moment. He stood up and grabbed Nico's hand. "You okay?"

He looked unwell, but when he nodded, Jason believed him. "I am now. But before I explain anything, can you lock me up in the room please? There's not much time left."

Not much time left? What was he talking about? He was going to ask, but Nico _did_ just tell him he'd explain everything once he was locked in the room. He grabbed one of the keys and then entered the room with Nico, locking the door. With the exception for the time Jason locked the door, he couldn't take his eyes away from the scar the whole time.

Instead of sitting on the bed, Nico chose the floor. Jason followed him, sitting on his left so he could get a better view of the scar. Once he rested beside him, Nico didn't hesitate when he put his head on his shoulder, and neither did Jason when he kissed his forehead.

That only lasted a bit because Nico pulled away and looked at Jason, this time giving a small smile. It was good to see him cheer up for a second.

He hated to ruin Nico's mood but he had to. "What happened?"

Now Nico was back to being serious, which sucked for Jason because "serious" for Nico now mean "sad", too. "I suppose I should start from when I left Camp Jupiter." He cleared his throat and began his explanation. "When I left for Camp Half-Blood, halfway, I wanted to take a break for a while because I was still recovering from the whole shadow travelling with Reyna and coach Hedge thing. So I did. After five minutes, I realized it was a big mistake. I heard something coming my way, and suddenly, I blacked out. The next day, I opened my eyes and I saw… I saw Octavian."

"Wait, what? I thought you-"

"You thought I killed him. I know. I thought so, too. Apparently, he survived. And he wanted to take revenge on me because I wanted to kill him. But then he thought of something better than that, in his opinion, at least. He wanted to do some crazy things. He wanted allies so he could destroy everything that Reyna did. So he'd be the one in charge of Camp Jupiter. He was crazy. He even… got a goddess on his side. She wasn't really with him. She was there because of fate or something."

"Who is she?"

For a few seconds he thought about it before he said, "I don't remember her name, but she had something to do with fate." Jason nodded. There were a few goddesses that had to do with fate, even if a little, so he didn't know who he expected to be there. Maybe she didn't have anything to do with fate. Maybe she just there because she was informed it was her fate. Great. That narrowed it down. Nico closed his eyes and breathed. Maybe it was just the memory that made him nervous. "Anyway, Octavian wanted me to help him against my will. I didn't want to help him, but he threatened to kill you guys. So I did what he said. And that went on for a year."

It hurt just hearing the story. It really wasn't _just_ the story. It was how pained Nico looked. "For a while, he gave me simple tasks like delivering things to other demigods or informing them about Octavian wanting their alliance. But then… his demands started getting worse. That was when I was brave enough to defy him and not let the threats get to me. I knew they were empty threats then.

"And then he b-brought the goddess and… she did something to me, Jason…" Nico stopped talking now. He couldn't form words anymore. Jason put one of his arms around him and used his free hand to stroke Nico's hair. Before when they were dating during that short month, Nico didn't like it even when Jason touched him too much. Now, he was letting him. He didn't think he wouldn't, really. After his experiences, of course he'd find comfort in the people he trusted.

"You don't need to continue if you can't." Jason wanted to know more, but Nico wasn't in the best condition right now.

"No. I need to. Not much time left." There it was again. _'Not much time left._ ' He knew he'd explain what that meant, but he was too curious. "The goddess did something to me. I don't know what it was, but the next thing I knew, my body was moving involuntarily and I was saying 'yes' to Octavian again. I just… lost control of my body."

"Completely?" Jason asked, now concerned.

Nico nodded, his eyes now on his lap. "Octavian wanted a name for the 'new me'. So he took his and my initials. O, N… Owen."

Jason stared at him with widely opened eyes. This must've been a lie. Nico was good. He couldn't have killed so many people so heartlessly. Then again, he did say he wasn't in control of himself.

"Do you hate me?" Nico asked suddenly. "Do you wanna leave me?"

He was surprised, but no way was he going to let go on Nico. He promised himself that. "No. Never! I just got you back. I won't leave you. Besides, it's not your fault. Octavian did this to you."

Nico nodded. Now, instead of a sad expression, a serious, more Nico-like one appeared. "I did horrible things and I'm sure you know about them. But that didn't stop the real me from resisting sometimes. One day, Octavian came in to give me my food, and I asked for the date."

Slowly, Jason got the information in his head. The fact that Owen did, in fact, attack for five years made it more real because Nico had been missing for six years. A whole year he was in control of his actions. In the remaining ones… not so much.

"He told me it was October thirty, so since I knew the next day, which is today, would be Halloween. Luckily, I once heard in one of my "missions" as a spy that Percy likes to throw celebrations for almost every event in his apartment, which you are going to have to explain about, mister, because I have no idea why you have apartments in the mortal world. Seriously, it's dangerous." Jason laughed for a second. There was the Nico he loved. Yes, loved. He didn't like thinking about that word much, but missing Nico made him realize this. "Anyway, I figured he did it for this Halloween, too." He rested his head back against the wall. "Octavian gave me permission to go, so I got Percy's address using a demigod I recognized... hiding in the shadows, of course.

"All the while, I was still resisting. When I went costume shopping, which was the only shopping I have done in those years I was stuck in there, thank the gods, I returned home. There, the goddess took the trance off of me, but she made that limited. Octavian wanted me to stay like that for only two hours, and… you know the rest."

Jason's stared even harder at the boy. "How much time left?"

"I'm guessing an hour passed already. Maybe more."

"So you're gonna return to being Owen in possibly less than an hour." He didn't even try to hide the hurt in his voice. Not only that, but Nico was back again to the depressed, broken state of his, looking at the ground.

"Please help me," Nico said in a hushed tone. "I don't know what to do anymore."

Once again, Jason brought him to a hug. He didn't really expect Nico to hug him back, but it was fine. As much as Nico wanted to cuddle and kiss the son of Hades, he had to move and get some help. "What if I get Chiron to help?" he suggested, releasing him.

Nico seemed to consider it. For a moment, Jason thought he's say no, but it surprised him when he agreed. "Okay, but only if he promised not to tell anyone."

Jason smiled at him. Despite the troubles they were having, Jason still missed him. He wasn't going to give up on him. "You sure you won't shadow-travel out of here if you're… _him_?"

Nico shook his head, his happiness appearing for a change. "I shadow traveled this week _a lot_ so if I use it once more, I'll start to fade. Plus, even if I can do that, I wouldn't. Remember when I… attacked you?" He nodded. "I couldn't do it even under a trance. And now I don't think Owen would try to escape. Seeing you makes me remember that I'm Nico for a few seconds. Not Owen."

Understanding the situation, Jason nodded and gave Nico a kiss on the forehead again. "I'll get Chiron. And then maybe I can find Octavian and deal with him."

Nico smiled. Oh, that smile. He longed for it. And now it was back. "You don't know where he is, doofus." He cocked his head to the side. "He lives close to Camp Half-Blood. I don't know where exactly, but it's on the right of the hill. Takes five minutes from there to the hideout." He said it so casually.

Octavian was so close this whole time to the Greek demigods and no one knew?

He stood up and said his goodbye to Nico, ending it with, "I'll tell you about the apartment thing later." And then he locked the door once again. What he loved about this room was that it could be locked from the outside and inside, unlike his own room. And this way, no one would get in unless Jason wants them to. With the exception of some gods or anyone who can simply appear there.

Like Nico said, he would get out. They both loved each other. Well, at least he hoped Nico felt the same way. He wouldn't get out. He wanted to stay, and he knew that.

He couldn't worry about Nico's feelings at the moment. He had to get Chiron and fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was more like a filler chapter, but the events aren't what I care about right now. It's basically Jason getting Nico back and dealing with Owen. We'll get to that soon, I hope.


	3. Octavian's Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! I've been excited to write this chapter because here's where I start the main events of the story. You'll get what I mean as the chapter's progress. Enjoy!

Jason opened the door to let Chiron wheelchair in. He had Iris messaged him, and he seemed delighted to hear about Nico. That was until Jason told him what Nico had informed him about.

"Where is he?" he asked, worried.

Jason pointed at the room he kept Nico locked in. "There."

He looked at the door, knitting his eyebrows. It didn't seem much to keep him in, yes, but according to Nico, it was fine. "How much time left 'til he's not himself again?" Chiron asked.

Jason shrugged. Honestly, he didn't pay attention to the time. "Maybe thirty minutes, more or less?" he guessed.

Chiron nodded. "What are you planning to do now?"

Jason has already planned a bit but he didn't think about this thoroughly. "I'll call my friends so we can track down Octavian. If we can do it tonight, great. If not, we'll hope for the best. Then, maybe you can help us find a way to bring Nico back?" He lifted one corner of his mouth as a suggesting look.

Chiron nodded. "That seems fine. I'll stay with Nico to try to find out what to do while you quickly go and contact your friends."

Jason was already on it. All his friends must have still been in the party, and judging by the time, the party must be coming to an end. The guys _did_ cherish their sleep. He decided to Iris message Annabeth since he knew she wasn't much of a crowd person like the rest, so even if there were guests, she was the least likely to be around them. Sure enough, she was in the kitchen, seemingly looking for something.

"Gosh, Jase, you scared me," she said, clutching her chest. "We were so worried about you. You were gone and- What's wrong? You look worried."

Was it wise to tell them about Nico? Considering he didn't get permission from him to tell them, he guessed it was wiser to exclude Nico from the conversation. "I need everyone for this, Annabeth, and I need everyone now. Octavian's alive. And he's going crazy."

Her eyes widened. "What?" She shook her head. "I'll tell everyone. Where should we meet you?"

"Near Camp Half-Blood," he said.

She nodded and went off, so Jason was left to stop the connection and take his weapons. Well, only Gladius, really. It was what he used mostly.

He sighed, looking at the locked door once more as if telling Nico a promise. He will be back. With good news, hopefully. He smiled and then went to the door, ready to face the challenges of today.

**==LINE==**

"So Octavian's alive?" Frank asked with disbelief. If that shocked Frank, Jason didn't know what would happen if they figured out about Nico. Not that he wanted to mention him.

"Yeah, and I've been told he's five minutes away from Camp Half-Blood. To the right of it."

"Who told you that?" Percy asked, raising an eyebrow. Was Percy doubting him?

"Someone who I promised to keep their identity a secret," he said with a harsher tone than intended.

Annabeth looked left and right. "Which right, though?" she asked.

Jason sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Right now, they were facing Half-Blood hill. "Let's try here," Jason said, pointing to _his_ right. "I'd say we split up but that's not a good idea."

He got a couple of nods. Some of them actually looked scared, too. Octavian wasn't exactly powerful, but from the description, he was pretty sure horrible plans would happen if they don't stop him.

"Let's go," Piper said, getting out her bronze sword. The rest imitated her action and started walking. All the while, Leo was talking about how "five minutes to the hideout" can mean anything, or how better measures should've been taken. Jason wanted so bad to be deaf at that moment. He loved the guy, but he could be annoying at times.

Sure enough, five minutes have passed with them walking about all that could be seen is some trees and grass.

"Now what?" Hazel asked, clearly frustrated.

Jason sighed. "Seriously?" He leaned against the closest tree. "Should've asked for more info," he muttered. Just then, he felt something move behind him. He got up from his position and looked at what was going on. The tree that he was just leaning on started to literally open in half. Inside it was . . . nothing. It was empty. But underneath it was a hole. No, it was a path underground with stairs, actually. It was slightly dark, but there was light.

Jason looked at the others and gave a doubtful look. Annabeth motioned for him to enter. He nodded and started walking quietly there. On the side of the path there were torches that lit up the place. It was nice and cozy here, really, but knowing Octavian was there, Jason shivered. He could hear the footsteps of his friends behind him, but he knew they were trying their best to be quiet.

At the end of the path, Jason noticed they reached a room-like place, if he'd call it that. Its walls were made of metal, so it was creepily giving him the feeling of being trapped. This was where Nico was the whole time? So close? And trapped? He swallowed. He should've figured this out, but he had to be a mindless idiot.

He looked around, and at the sight of someone, he went back. It wasn't Octavian, but he didn't want to get caught now.

He turned back to the others, signaling them that someone was there. Frank pushed past him, mouthing, "I got this."

Jason trusted him with this. The guy was big. Anyone would be scared to fight with him. And not only that, but being praetor made him seem like someone not to be messed with. In fear of being exposed, Jason didn't turn around to see the fight happening, but the sounds of someone grunting made him turn around. Impressive. The guy was already on the floor, staring at Frank with fear in his eyes.

Getting out his sword, Jason stepped forward until he was in view. The others followed him. Frank was already asking questions, but quietly, probably so he wouldn't be heard anyone else.

Jason pointed the sword at the guy and looked around. No one was in sight. Good.

"Let's try this again. Where's Octavian?" Frank asked.

"H-He's in there." He pointed to the right where a door in a corner was located. Such poor security he had. Though this guy was a sell-out, apparently. They had to keep him shut.

Jason nodded. "Keep him pinned here. I'm going in with Percy and Hazel. Leo, Piper, and Annabeth, you keep a look out in case anyone attacks."

Leo gave a salute. "Got it, chief."

Jason rolled his eyes. Ignoring him, he opened the door and got in. Though he felt proud leading the group. He had always been a leader, but there had always been the competition between him and Percy. Right now, it seemed they needed Jason since he held the information.

The feeling of happiness soon disappeared and got replaced with anger. There stood Octavian, talking to someone, but he looked at his three attackers in surprise. He narrowed his eyes at them, seemingly angry as well. But he was looking at Jason in particular. He must have known he did something. “I was wondering why he didn’t come back,” he said, taking out his sword from its hilt. “You did something, didn’t you?”

Hazel and Percy did the mistake of letting their guards down in their moment of curiosity. “What does he mean?” Percy asked Jason.

Jason didn’t look at them. He didn’t want to say it. Not now. He needed to focus on Octavian. And defeat him. This guy was slowly building up an army to conquer all, and he used a charmed Nico to do it as a revenge. He was definitely going to pay. “He’s not a puppet that you can control,” he said.

Octavian raised an eyebrow, and then chuckled and stepped closer. Jason was having none of this. He extended his sword more as a warning. If he got closer, he wouldn’t be afraid to attack. Octavian’s smile never disappeared, though. “Yet I did control him, didn’t I?”

“Jason,” Hazel said before he could say anything back. “Who is he? Just stop avoiding the question.”

Jason turned to her to give her an apologetic frown. He was planning on telling them, but right now, he couldn’t. It was a secret that wasn’t his own. A secret he wasn’t allowed to tell without permission.

But how stupid was Jason to divert his attention from Octavian? Surely, he should’ve expected him to knock him down. But the way he did it made him furious. Well, he didn’t know exactly how it happened, but he did feel a sharp pain on the left side of his face that made him lose his balance and fall to the ground. Jason gritted his teeth and held his sword tighter. He wasn’t giving up. Nico needed him.

“I don’t know how he likes you,” Octavian said bitterly.

Jason lifted his head. He could tell Octavian was just trying to get to him, and he was glad that his friends caught up to that as well. From the corner of his eyes, he could see them in their battle stance, ready for attack.

Jason was feeling slightly dizzy, but that didn’t stop him from standing up. “We all know what you’re up to, so why don’t you shut up?”

“Is that so? Did he tell you?” Octavian asked.

Jason scoffed. “What? You scared he isn’t loyal to you? Guess what, he never was.”

Octavian may be the bluffing king, but it appeared that didn’t help in making Jason’s words get to him, and he struck. Jason, by then, had luckily got his balance and focus back. He was able to block the attack with his sword. He was expecting another strike, but then Percy grabbed Octavian from the back and put the sword close to his neck.

“Just give up. Now that we know where you are, we can stop you,” he threatened. And it wasn’t empty. They all knew it was true.

The son of Apollo looked at Hazel and Jason as if studying them. “And how will you do that?” he asked.

As of now, Jason had no idea. And by the looks of it, neither did Hazel. Jason was about to say something clever about how they don’t know yet but they’ll win eventually, but then Percy grinned. What was he up to? As if he was reading his mind, well, Jason guessed he read his expression, he replied with, “Let’s just say I have a magical item on me that’s leading the Party Ponies right here.”

Jason smiled at him, impressed. He didn’t think Percy would be this cautious. Maybe it was Annabeth who told him to do this, but it also wasn’t hard to believe Percy thought of this, too. Jason had gotten to know him throughout the years, and he found out just how Percy was smart. He was reckless and he had a big mouth, but he wasn’t dumb, either. And right now, he was grateful he brought Percy with him inside.

Hazel’s gold eyes sparkled with hope. It was perhaps the nicest thing to see an innocent girl like her get this happy. Of course, she was more mature now that she became nineteen, but she still had that innocent look and those big eyes. It was enough to make him confident once again.

He noticed Octavian’s eye twitch in irritation, and that was when he knew they won. The guy would never show signs of weakness. Only annoying smugness and wickedness.

From outside, he heard Leo exclaiming happily, and loud yet muffled cheers. Both Jason and Hazel turned to see a mess of centaurs running around. Some had gloomy-looking minions in their hands as they led them out, and others were walking around, yelling, “Check the other room!” A few entered this room, looking at Octavian as if they caught the biggest fish in the sea.

One of them, who wore a tie-dye hipster shirt, smiled at Percy happily and said, “Dude! Long time no see!”

The other just chuckled and motioned towards Octavian. “He means: nice job. We’ll take it from here.” Percy gladly handed Octavian over to him, though they were met with angry protests from the augur. The centaur punched him harshly in the stomach, which made Octavian bend and wrap his arm around himself, and then the centaur said, “Shut up, kid! Just be grateful. I’m much more nicer than Zeus.” He held him once again from the arms and pushed him outside.

Jason stared at the exit in amazement and then looked back at Percy. “Thanks, bro.”

Percy grinned like an idiot. “Of course, can’t take all the credit. Annabeth would kill me. I just thought of the idea. Annabeth was the one who did it.”

Jason nodded. “Ah. Makes more sense.”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” Percy asked, offended.

Jason just smiled at him and motioned outside. “Come on. Let’s go. I don’t want to be stuck here a minute longer.”

The others seemed to agree as well because they followed him outside the room, and then to the surface.  All of them were cheering and smiling. That is except for Jason. He kept thinking about Nico and how in the name of Tartarus they were supposed to fix the problem with him.

He noticed Hazel glancing at him every few seconds. He would’ve asked her what’s wrong, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Unfortunately for him, she was the one who came to him and said, “What was Octavian talking about back there?”

“Hmm?” he asked, acting oblivious.

“Oh, stop it. You know what I’m talking about. Spill,” she said.

He looked down at the grass. Even if Hazel was Nico’s sister, he couldn’t tell her a thing. This was Nico’s secret to keep, and he wasn’t going to say anything without Nico’s permission. “I want to tell you, but I can’t,” he said.

“You can’t? What does that even mean?” she asked.

“It means I can’t spill someone else’s beans,” he clarified even more.

“Oh,” she said. “Sorry for prying, then. It just sounded so important when you were talking about ‘ _him_ ’, whoever he is.”

He gave her a smile. At least she understood. He liked this about her. No wonder Nico had wanted to protect her when he was around her. She was too innocent and pure. “I’ll tell you in due time. Just not now.”

“Take your time,” she said. She gave him a thin smile then rushed again to join Frank.

As he looked at the two, he couldn't help but admire the couple. If only he could be that happy.

 

Jason had never been so nervous entering his house. He knew he shouldn't have stalled and walked around the neighborhood for what seemed like hours until he finally decided to face this. He couldn't help it. He was too scared to know what had happened to Nico. If he wasn't himself anymore. He probably was now that Jason took his time.

He opened the door and noticed Chiron on the wheelchair, waiting for Jason to come. He looked at him with concerned, fatherly eyes. "How did everything do? Are you all right?"

Jason wrapped his arms around himself – a habit he formed when he was insecure or nervous. "Things went all right. And I hope I'll be all right." He gave a slight smile. "The Party Ponies came."

Chiron chuckled slightly. "Oh, I hoped they didn't cause any chaos."

"Too late for that," Jason said humorously despite the pain he was feeling inside.

The smile was finally wiped out from both their faces. Chiron nodded towards the door holding Nico back. "I'd check on him every once in a while. Poor thing's scarred." He gave a pitiful look towards the door. "And he's reverted back to…"

He didn't need to continue. He didn't need to. Jason understood what he meant. He's reverted back to that monster, Owen. "I don't know what to do," he whispered. He was scared. He felt like he had failed both Nico and himself.

Chiron moved the chair closer to Jason and held Jason's hand. "Grace, look at me." So he did. "I've seen this before. The effect on his _is_ bad, very much worse than the other cases I've witnessed, but this isn't the end. He can be brought to his normal self. He's still there, as you have seen today." So there was hope. "You need to try to bring him back. With the right pace and the right people, it's possible."

Jason nodded. "That's relieving. Thanks."

Chiron gave him a smile. "For the safety of Nico and the rest of the demigods, I'd do anything." He started moving his chair away from Jason and towards the exit. Before he reached for the knob, he turned towards Jason. "Just a tip: start doing this alone at first. He seems to deeply care for you. When he'd comfortable enough, bring in someone else he's close to. Perhaps Hazel Levesque."

Jason nodded again and said, "Thank you, Chiron."

"No problem." Then Chiron was out of the apartment.

For now, Jason didn't want to deal with not-anymore Nico. For now, he needed to relax a bit and just go to sleep. He'd start with Nico tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I just started off with the main thing now: Jason trying to get Nico back. This is basically the story. Now, now, don't complain that the fights and everything seem rushed. I know that. I just want to get over with them so I can start with the main reason I wrote this fic in the first place. It is one of my favorite ideas, to be honest. Also, Jasico had consumed my life even more now, so I'm more of a trash than before. PLUS (million exclamation marks placed incorrectly here to emphasize this point) I am almost done with exams, and that means more time to write. Yay!
> 
> Hope you liked this chapter. If you'd like to say anything, don't forget to leave a feedback. Any kind is appreciated.


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